St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Crockett

555 3rd Ave.

Crockett, CA 94525

St. Patrick Mission Catholic Church, Port Costa

287 Prospect Ave.

Port Costa, CA 94569

Fr. Leonardo Asuncion
Administrator


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Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

(3/24/2024) Gospel Reading: Mark 11:1-10

 

“Blessed Is the King Who comes in the Name of the Lord

 

Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.

Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name.

 

From the desk of Fr. Leo Alban Asuncion

     This Sunday the liturgy begins to unfold a series of events which God, the Father, planned and which he guided by means of the Holy Spirit to accomplish our salvation. In the center of this divine drama stands, not an actor, but the eternal Son of God. He is Jesus, the Savior. He is the Christ, the one anointed by God to be the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.

     The week which is unfolding was once called the “Great Week,” but now usually “Holy Week.” It begins with the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and reaches a climax in the three days which we call the Triduum: Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. These days are truly the great, holy days of our faith.

     On Thursday evening, already Friday in the Jewish liturgical reckoning, “Jesus realized that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had loved his own in this world and would show his love for them to the end.” The Greek word used by St. John for “end” means not only “until the termination of his life” but also “to the fullest extent.” Actually, Jesus would show the fullest love by sacrificing his life for us.

     On that awesome night of the Last Supper, Jesus was thinking of his final act of love while on this earth, his death on the cross. So that his followers might be able to share in his sacrifice throughout all ages, he instituted the sacrament of his Paschal Mystery, his death and resurrection. At this supper “under the appearance of bread and wine, Jesus offered his body and blood, gave them to his apostles to eat and drink, and then commanded them to carry on this mystery.

     The Church rightly understands that “the sacrifice of the cross and its sacramental renewal in the Mass, which Jesus instituted at the Last Supper and commanded his apostles to do in his memory, are one and the same, differing only in the manner of offering, and that consequently the Mass is at once a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, of reconciliation and expiation.

     On Friday afternoon Jesus offered the sacrifice of himself which he had instituted as a sacrament on the previous night. On Saturday, the second day of the Triduum, Jesus was in the tomb. His burial indicated that his death was real, not a fiction or

pretense. It is the day of supreme quiet, the great silence of the liturgy. The liturgy invites us to remain at the tomb of Jesus, in peaceful expectation of the bright tomorrow.

     On Easter Sunday Jesus broke the bond of death. By dying he destroyed our death, and by rising he restored our life. Now in the eucharistic celebration his resurrection cannot be separated from his death.

     Today we begin the great Holy Week of our faith. It will culminate in the sacred Triduum. The meaning of the three great, holy days of our faith is not lost in the past. It is a reality for us in every celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

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Meditation: Does the King of glory find a welcome entry in your home and heart? Jesus went to Jerusalem knowing full well what awaited him - betrayal, rejection, and crucifixion. The people of Jerusalem, however, were ready to hail him as their Messianic King! Little did they know what it would cost this king to usher in his kingdom. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem astride a colt was a direct fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy of Zechariah (9:9):

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem. Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, and riding on an donkey and upon a colt the foal of a donkey.

Those who believe, hope, and love receive Christ's kingdom of peace and eternal life
The colt was a sign of peace. Jesus enters Jerusalem in meekness and humility, as the Messianic King who offers victory and peace to his people. That victory and peace would be secured in the cross and resurrection which would soon take place at the time of Passover.

Augustine, the great 5th century church father, comments on the significance of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem:

"The master of humility is Christ who humbled himself and became obedient even to death, even the death of the cross. Thus he does not lose his divinity when he teaches us humility... What great thing was it to the king of the ages to become the king of humanity? For Christ was not the king of Israel so that he might exact a tax or equip an army with weaponry and visibly vanquish an enemy. He was the king of Israel in that he rules minds, in that he gives counsel for eternity, in that he leads into the kingdom of heaven for those who believe, hope, and love. It is a condescension, not an advancement for one who is the Son of God, equal to the Father, the Word through whom all things were made, to become king of Israel. It is an indication of pity, not an increase in power." (Tractates on John 51.3-4)

Psalm 24 is another prophetic passage which echoes this triumphal procession of the King of glory:

Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in.

Jesus Christ came to bring us the kingdom of God. He is the true King who offers peace, joy, and everlasting life for those who accept his kingship. Does the King of glory find a welcome entry in your heart and home? Do your walls echo with the praise of his glory?

Lord Jesus, be the King and Ruler of my heart, mind, life, and home. May my life reflect your meekness and humility that you may be honored as the King of glory!

   read more at: http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org

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Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations

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Latest Parish Pastoral Council Meeting Minutes

Latest Finance Committee Meeting Minutes

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Please see our Sunday bulletin for more information.

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Online Donations

The Diocese of Oakland is trying to help those parishes and parishioner where online giving is not in place. To do this, they have set up a way for people to donate online through the Diocese to their own parish.
 

ALL DONATIONS THROUGH THIS LINK GO DIRECTLY TO THE PARISH THAT IS SELECTED.  

Go to the Parish Support page of the Dioceses of Oakland home page:

            https://www.oakdiocese.org/parish-support

Choose or enter the amount of your donation.

Select ‘St. Rose of Lima, Crockett’ or ‘St. Patrick Mission, Port Costa’ in the Parish Name box.

Enter your billing address, email address and card information.

Once the submit button is clicked, a short reply will show up confirming the transaction was successful. A few minutes later, a message will be sent to the email account entered with a summary of the gift, including the parish it will be directed towards, and a simple thank you. The Diocese will process the gifts, which entails charging the credit or debit card.

NOTE: Your card or debit card may not be charged immediately. The gift will be processed by an OMA staff member.  

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Don’t take a vacation from God!

If travelling to unfamiliar places, include God in your itineraries. Information on local churches and mass times can be found at

www.masstimes.org 

or by calling 1-800-MASS-TIMES within the USA.

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Listen to America’s Talk Radio Network for Catholics.

Relevant Radio

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Some interesting websites

Diocese of Oakland

US Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Holy See

Vatican Internet Sites

 

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PETITIONS

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Prayers for the sick

Pray for our sick brothers and sisters specially:

John Collins

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Prayers for the deceased

In your prayers, please remember in a special way, the repose of the souls of our departed sisters and brothers.

 

Richard Grondaneos

Jose Peralta

Tom Cortez

Charles Berenguer

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